Frank Black & The Catholics

Dog in the Sand (What Are)
by Tim Den

You know who he is and, chances are, you listen to one of his old bands and/or bands that’ve been influenced by his work. Recorded live onto two-track, Dog in the Sand is Frank Black (and his backing band for the third straight record, The Catholics) on his continuing quest for the American soul. Not only does he try to squeeze out every drop of Lonesome Cowboy from the pedal steel-drenched, Wurlitzer-soaked country bar tunes, he’s got a frontier desert on the album cover to prove it.

And just to make sure us press folks understand his mission, he plainly states in the bio “I foresee a time when we will record to wax cylinder, or perhaps a release only on sheet music. Further and further back in time.” The Pixies’ fans are as confused as ever, scratching their college-educated art rock heads trying to make out the appeal of the Wild West. Perhaps Dog in the Sand isn’t for them. It’s for those who turn up Tom Waits; who appreciate Americana and have the calloused hands to prove it.
(2401 Broadway Boulder, CO 80304)